Issue - meetings

Introduction of Civil Parking Enforcement Powers

Meeting: 24/09/2015 - Executive (Item 55)

55 Introduction of Civil Parking Enforcement Powers pdf icon PDF 252 KB

Decision:

That:

1)        the preparation and submission of an application to the Department for Transport (DfT) for the introduction of Civil Parking Enforcement powers within the Borough be approved;

 

2)        the capital expenditure of £34,000 in the current year and £34,000 in Year 2 be approved.

Minutes:

The Executive considered a report on the proposal to introduce Civil Parking Enforcement Powers (CPE) which would give powers to the Council to enforce parking restrictions within their area of responsibility.  Within Wokingham Borough parking restrictions were currently enforced by Thames Valley Police, however this was considered as a low priority for them and as a result they applied little resource to it. 

 

The Deputy Executive Member for Planning and Highways informed the meeting that a large number of complaints were received from areas throughout the Borough about illegal parking and parking abuse.  The proposal therefore should increase the utilisation of car parks and give the ability for the Council to respond to residents’ demands for new restrictions and regulations.

 

Councillor Halsall highlighted the results of a survey carried out in 2015 in Wokingham, Twyford, Shinfield and Woodley which indicated that as many as 1in 4 vehicles parked illegally in and around those town centres. 

 

It was noted that if the Council took on enforcement powers they would have to be applied across the Borough and implementation of the scheme would take between 18months-2years from agreement.  The Council would however retain control of when, where and how it would enforce these powers which would enable specific problem areas to be targeted and work could be carried out with towns and parishes to determine need.  Also if towns and parishes had a specific need they would be able to supplement the Council’s provision.

 

Councillor Halsall advised that it was not permissible to make a profit on the scheme and the proposed management of the scheme was designed to be revenue neutral. 

 

Councillor Jorgensen advised that she reluctantly supported the scheme as she felt that the Police were meant to carry out parking enforcement and were funded to do so and therefore the Council should not be taking on this responsibility given its budget pressures.  In response Councillor Halsall stated that the Police would not be withdrawing from this area and would continue to police dangerous and criminal parking as they had in the past.  He also highlighted that Wokingham was part of the 1% of local authorities throughout the country, and the only Borough in the Thames Valley area, who had not taken up these powers and there was a very well developed scheme where the administration of the fines was undertaken by a third party and adjudicated by an independent third party and would not become a Council responsibility. 

 

Members were pleased that the introduction of CPE was being proposed as, particularly in the towns, commuters parking their cars on streets had an impact on the life of residents and on occasions stopped emergency and refuse vehicles getting to their homes.                   

 

RESOLVED that:

1)        the preparation and submission of an application to the Department for Transport (DfT) for the introduction of Civil Parking Enforcement powers within the Borough be approved;

 

2)        the capital expenditure of £34,000 in the current year and £34,000 in Year 2 be approved.